Mystery surrounds Dele Adebola?s future, with Coventry City denying a Peterborough United claim that he is on his way to London Road next week.

Posh boss Barry Fry insists he has struck a deal with the Sky Blues to take the 28-year-old striker on loan with a view to a permanent move following Saturday?s FA Cup clash between the two clubs at Highfield Road.

But City caretaker boss Eric Black maintains Adebola is still part of his squad - although he concedes that the situation could change if Coventry bring in a fresh forward.

Fry said: ?I?ve done the deal to bring Adebola on loan from Coventry as soon as we have played them in the FA Cup. He has the physical presence we require up front - I?ve always rated him and I believe we can get the best out of him.?

?It?s a month?s loan with a view to a permanent deal and he is available on a free transfer.?

Asked if such an agreement had been reached, however, Black said: ?Not at the present time, no.

?Barry has spoken to me and made a request to get him, as he has with Gary McSheffrey and various others, but I told him that at this moment in time I can?t do anything.

?Barry might be confident but Dele is part of our squad and if we have to go to a three then he is certainly someone we want up there. Against Bradford he went on and pinned them back.

?I told Barry that if anything changes then I will get back on to him, but it hasn?t. It might change in August or September, or it might change tomorrow - but there is nothing imminent as far as Dele leaving is concerned, and I wouldn?t be prepared to let him or any other striker go unless we had people in who I thought were better.

?We won?t be rushed into doing anything with that. If something else happens and we acquire other people then who knows, but at this moment in time Dele is certainly a big part of our plans for the next few weeks and we will see what happens from there.?

Black, meanwhile, is confident he can talk Yazid Mansouri out of going to the African Nations Cup next month.

Although the midfielder has admitted he wants to represent Algeria in the Tunisia 2004 competition, which would see him missing from Sky Blue action for up to six week, Black believes he will stay put.

?There is not a major concern because we believe Yazid will be with us,? said Black.

?Obviously as the year has progressed Algeria are very keen to have him in their squad. But we are talking to Yaz and we are sure that he will stay with us during the African Nations Cup, which is vital with Youssef Saffri definitely going.

?He says he still wants to stay here, but for a player who is near the end of a contract, the African Nations Cup has enormous profile.

?He hasn?t featured, perhaps, as much as he would like, so all these circumstances come to bear at this point. But I am convinced that he will stay and be part of the team going forward and we are working very hard to resolve it as quickly as possible.

?I don?t think there is a major problem to be honest, rather just bits that have to be clarified.? Black is also battling to keep Safri for the home match against Watford on Saturday week. Although Morocco?s first group game is not until January 27, his country have instructed their players to report for duty on January 10, the day Coventry are due to play the Hornets at Highfield Road.

?We have made a request to ask for Saf to stay for the game and then leave after that,? said Black. ?I believe a lot of clubs are in this situation and we are hopeful because it is 17 days before their competition starts which should be enough time to prepare with players who are in the middle of a season. It is not as if they are joining for pre-season or anything.?